Boat Seat Materials And Construction Clarified

Regardless of the type of boat that you have, you should not discount the importance of the right materials for your boat seats, as this can be of prime importance not only for the comfort of your fellow passengers, but also for the performance of the vessel and ultimately for the safety of everyone on board.

To make sure that the seats in your boat are of the right type for your purpose, as well as to allow for their best upkeep, which will maintain your boat's value over time, it's important to know about the skin and bones of the seats - the upholstery and the materials.

Faded or bent seats, or seats showing a lot of wear and tear, are not only eyesores but they will also result in lowering the appeal and value of the boat. And they will ultimately be more expensive due to higher care requirements.

Regarding the boat seat materials most commonly employed in the frame of seating, stainless steel or pressure-treated wood are the most common ones, with fiberglass being a close third. Luxury boat seats on the other hand are often built entirely in prestigious teak wood.

Fiberglass and steel are very common materials. When buying steel-based seats, you need to make sure that it's stainless to avoid rust and resulting ugly stains. Marine plywood is used for less expensive seating - make sure that the material has been pressure treated if you buy this kind of seat.

Boat seat upholstery is not always present on all kinds of marine seating. Some benches are simply constructed, with hard wooden or fiberglass backrests and sitting areas, often padded but more often still unpadded.

Hard seating that isn't padded is often fitted with cushions. Whether the boat seats you are after are fitted with cushions or non-removable upholstery, please note that the available range of fabrics and colors is usually much bigger for indoors seats than for on-deck seats.

For outdoor use, fabrics that will stand up to sunlight and to infiltrations of salty water are a must. The most common material is marine grade vinyl, although it is not necessary the more comfortable one.

On the more expensive boat seats, waterproofed and high strength nylon fabrics or even treated leather are sometimes used. Although these tend to have a higher price tag, they also look better.

Boat seat materials need to be hard wearing and sturdy. Most custom boat seat manufacturers will be more than happy to help a client to find the best material for his and his boats' needs.